25 Collectibles In Your Attic You Didn't Realize Were So Valuable

Keep a particular eye out for Apple computers. "Perhaps your father bought an Apple in 1977, which really isn't that long ago," says Eric Silver, an appraiser for "Antiques Roadshow" and director of Lillian Nassau LLC. "A first edition Apple was bought for $900,000. It's not technically antique, but it can be worth a lot of money if it was built in, say, Steve Job's garage." Bonus points if it's in working condition.

That old guitar in your attic could strum up major bucks. "Guitars, especially, can bring in a lot of money," says Silver. "A 1960s Fender Stratocaster that was never used because someone didn't like it, could be worth a lot." It doesn't have to be antique: Something used in just the last 60 to 70 years (think your grandfather's old instruments) can have a surprising amount of value.

If land deeds have been passed down through your family for generations, research if it ever passed the hands of someone notable. "A lot of people have these types of papers, but it can't just be for a cornfield," says Amy Parenti, head of the Appraisal Department at Freeman's auction house in Philadelphia. "It has to involve someone famous." War commissions as recent as World War II can also be valuable, so long as they involve notable individuals such as a well-known general.

It's not just diamonds and pearls that can earn you a big check at an antiques auction. "Costume jewelry, depending on the maker, can be worth as much or more than real diamonds or precious stone jewelry," says Silver. "There are plenty of recognized makers, such as Miriam Haskell, whose costume jewelry can sell for thousands of dollars."

Check out what books your grandparents or great-grandparents may have passed down to you. If you find a first version of a popular book, you're in luck. "If you have the first edition of a book, rather than the 10th copy, it could be valuable, even if a relative found it in a bookstore and paid $5 for it," says Silver. "First editions of books from the 30s, 40s or 50s can sometimes be worth tens of thousands of dollars."

It's incredibly specific, and may seem like garbage to most people. But just a lamp base alone can rack up big dollars at an auction. "One time, someone came into the roadshow with the base for a Tiffany's lamp that they had bought at a thrift shop for $5," says Silver. "It was only the base, but it was worth $25,000." It's best if you have the lampshade too, but the base alone can hold surprising value.

If you have shoeboxes of personal belongings from your ancestors, take a close look at who they were writing to or who the journals involved. "We came across a diary kept by Thomas Jefferson, but it could even be a postcard or personal letter," says Parenti. "People also often have a lot of postcards, and those can be a value, especially if they're pre-World War I Halloween cards and postcards that have been handmade from the Victorian era." If anything, you might just gain a better understanding of your passed loved ones.

Toasters in vintage, pastel colors are making a comeback, but the one already sitting in storage in your home could be worth far more. "For every item that you have in your house, some version of it might be very valuable," says Silver. There are even trade associations for toaster collectors, so don't discount your old appliances.

Think back to some of the books you've inherited from relatives. "People have a lot of books, but they don't always look through every book," says Parenti. "You should be thinking about if you have a book someone signed, because that will absolutely raise the value." It'll raise the value even more if it's signed and a first edition.

You may want to thank your grandmother for never tossing your dad's baseball cards — because they could be worth a home-run amount now. "Oftentimes people have baseball cards, and with those, the market really drives the value," says Parenti. "For that particular genre, the value would be in baseball cards prior to 1950. Or, in cigarette cards from the early part of the 20th century."

Books aren't the only item worth more if they're signed. "People will have autographs often that perhaps they've been given by their parents," says Parenti. Even if an autograph is by an only somewhat notable person, if it is from the 20th century, it can be worth a reasonable amount. Look for signed cards, notes and other papers. You may need to take it to an appraiser, however, since sometimes secretaries signed papers for their bosses.